Kerry and I started writing together while we were still
students at Cambridge in the 1960s. Over the following
years until the early 80s many demos and quite a few fully
produced recordings were made, only a few
of which ever saw the commercial light of day. It's time
to put that
omission right.

These recordings date mostly from 1982. The basic rhythm section consisted of Ray Russell on guitar and Harold Fisher on drums, with the bass and keyboard duties alternating between Paul Hart and myself. I also play a 'piccolo bass guitar' on several of the tracks: an idea I stole from Stanley Clarke, who's credited with playing one on Chick Corea's 'Romantic Warrior' album. Having no clue what a piccolo bass guitar might be I invented my own: a short scale bass strung an octave higher than conventionally.

All the vocals on this Volume are by myself. The string and brass backing groups (full personnel lists below) contain some of my dearest friends, some of whom are sadly no longer with us.

The songs themselves date from across the 70s and early 80s (see below). Three of them, The Least You Can Do, Move and Wish You Were Here, have also been recorded by Cleo Laine.

[ 1 ] The Cigarette Flip

The first thing I noticed about her was the cigarette flip.
She took a cigarette out of a packet
& tossed it in the air
it looped the loop and landed lightly on her lower lip –

I thought, show-off
who needs you

– one hand on her hip
while the other drew an arc in the dark
& a flame flickered out of her fist
& fire and tobacco kissed
in a blue-yellow mist.

She gave a slow smile.
I liked her profile.

She had a tough way of taking tobacco off the tip of her tongue –
kind of spit-pick-flick.
I thought,
too many late-night movies in her formative years,
obviously –
she's Paramount-fixated, a Warner-Brothers mother,
a clear-cut case of MGM OD,
Bogart and Bacall coming out of both ears.

So –
I said, You know how to whistle, don't ya?
And she said,
Oh...
Sure. You just put your lips together and blow.

Chill
is the winter as it creeps away
slow
are the buds that break the clay
hard
is the naked earth to walk upon
sharp
is the bitter light of day

but

Spring
is another chance for everything
spring
in all your silks & fine array
spring
I can't resist you so I'll kiss you –
I know the kind of tricks you play
on hearts like mine –
lead me to the summer wine.

and

June
full of lazy days and lemonade
noon
seagulls wheel across the foam
soon
as summer burns you it'll start to fade
moon
knows the harvest must come home

and

Fall
is the time to gather in & bind
small
are the chances that remain
gall
in the taste of tears that sting & blind
all
you can do is curse the rain

but

Spring
is another chance for everything
spring
in all your silks & fine array
spring
I can't resist you so I'll kiss you –
I know the kind of tricks you play
on hearts like mine –
lead me to the summer wine.

Her hair is like a river
running races through the dark
her eyes are like black diamonds
her laughter like a spark
her hands they swoop and flutter
like the wings upon a lark
the rings upon her fingers shine
like the white teeth of a shark
Caroline
I sit inside her wicker chair and swing
I smile and I don't understand a thing
not a solitary thing

Her face is a madonna's
she smiles just like a cat
her arms are hugged around her
and she runs to puppy-fat
her speaking is hypnotic
like the low buzz of a gnat
she moves across the floor to me
she slithers like a rat
Caroline
I try to find my wine and turn away
I cannot find a single word to say
seems it isn't my day

Caroline, Caroline
if you were mine
every night would be okay
but every day you'd steal away
the sunshine

If only she would let me stay
the man I used to be
before I climbed her stairway
and drank her china tea
but her eyes are throwing chains of light
and captivating me
it's late and I must get away
oh woman set me free
Caroline
I stand and walk the miles toward her door
I just can't stand her witchcraft any more
what am I waiting for

Caroline, Caroline
if you were mine
every night would be okay
but every day you'd steal away
the sunshine

She's blazing like a furnace
she is turning into dust
the angle of her head betrays
the anger in her lust
the handle of her door won't turn
although I know it must
she takes my life into her hands
she turns me out without a crust
Caroline
I'll never visit Caroline again
I leave her to her beauty and her pain
and walk home in the rain

Well I'm remembering the very first time I heard the boogie-woogie
Going back a bit, you better believe it I was still at school
I was so darn small my nose nearly hit the keyboard
And I thought the piano player was the tops, he was the King of Cool

Well I've got to tell you now he was just another music teacher
And as the years rolled by well none of us learned a thing
Cos there was only one thing he could do that'd really reach yer
That old left-hand lope that made a jingle-jangle melody swing

There ain't nothing like a boogie
nothing like a boogie-woogie
Nothing like a boogie
nothing boogie jive
There ain't nothing like a boogie
nothing like a groovy boogie-woogie
Nothing like a boogie to keep a man alive

Yeah I'm remembering his hands racing up and down the tinkling ivories
And one foot hit the pedals and the other one kicked to stool
For me it was the door to everything that happened after
And the man he was the most, he was the tops, he was the King of Cool

Having a lovely time
Wish you were here
The sea is surprisingly warm
For the time of year
The foam is so white
And the waves are a beautiful blue
And at night the illum-
inations are beautiful too
And the place where we stay
Has a B-E-A-utiful view –
But hey-hey-hey-hey
Oo-oo-oo-oo
I do miss you
(So bad – I do miss you)

Having a lovely time
And I would like to stay
The food is amazingly good
For the prices you pay
The people are nice
And the icecream-man is a scream
And a ride with you
Through the tunnel of love
Would be a dream
Come true
Today
Hey-hey-hey-hey
Oo-oo-oo-oo
I do miss you

Having a lovely time
And I wish you were here
There's so much to do
There's a zoo
And a show on the pier
But it's when I'm alone
That I want to run home
To you dear
And try as I might
I can't be bright
So I'm writing this card
On the promenade
With the sea in the air
And the wind in my hair –
I'm so alone
Want to run home
I do miss you
(So bad – I do miss you)